Remember when instant mashed potatoes arrived on the food scene? While not as delicious as fresh and homemade, they boasted a precious saving of prep time in the kitchen. The problem was lumps, which are inherent in the natural variety but were noticeably absent from the fake ones. So, in an effort to produce more a more realistic-seeming fake product, the manufacturers of instant mashed potatoes began adding lumps.

But they didn’t fool me. They were still instant mashed potatoes.

Henrik Fisker is now attempting a similar endeavor with his new plug-in/solar electric hybrid Karma sports car. The fast but environmentally responsible vehicle can travel 80 kilometers (50 miles) without relying on gas, which cuts down tremendously on emissions and our dependence on foreign oil. When battery power runs out, the engine utilizes a one-gallon fuel reserve to recharge the car. Nice.

The missing lumps here is the lack of noise. Sensing that electric car drivers might miss the macho, empowering roar of the combustion engine, Fisker has added speakers both inside and out that, according to Forbes Autos, will “allow drivers to make their car sound ‘like something between a Formula One car and a jet plane.’” Not only will this boost the driver’s ego, it will be loud enough for pedestrians to hear, allowing the vision impaired to be more aware of an oncoming vehicle.

While some are labeling this feature a gimmick, Fisker says it’s not uncommon for manufacturers to enhance car’s engine noise. “Part of any experience is the acoustic experience,” he says.

I guess when you pay $80,000 for a sports car, you want it to sound like a sports car. And given the added environmental bonuses, the Fisker Karma just might succeed where instant mashed potatoes failed.